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The holidays will soon arrive at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis! Celebrate the holiday season at The Children’s Museum with a variety of seasonal favorites such as Santa’s Big Arrival, the Jolly Days Winter Wonderland exhibit and the Yule Slide!
Santa’s Big Arrival
The holiday season begins at The Children’s Museum on Nov. 26 with the arrival of Santa! The annual event, Santa’s Big Arrival, begins at 8:30 a.m. and culminates just before 10 a.m. as Santa makes his big entrance down the Yule Slide accompanied by one lucky member child. The morning’s festivities include free face painting, a roaming magician, 30 percent off all merchandise in the Museum Store and a free youth admission with the purchase of an adult admission until 9:30 a.m.
Jolly Days Winter Wonderland
Santa’s arrival heralds the opening of the annual Jolly Days Winter Wonderland exhibit – a favorite among children and families during the holiday season. Visitors to Jolly Days are invited to help prep Santa’s reindeer for their flight, “skate” in their socks on an indoor “ice skating” area, climb and slide on the Snow Castle, try their luck at “ice” fishing, and pretend-bake holiday goodies in the Tradition Kitchen. The littlest visitors will enjoy the baby play Snow Castle with activities just for those under 2. For many visitors, a highlight of their trip to Jolly Days includes a visit and photo with Santa who will be waiting to hear the wishes of young museum visitors. Jolly Days is presented by Fifth Third Bank with additional support from Barnes & Thornburg, LLP and Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St.Vincent.
Dorothy Returns!
This holiday season, The Children’s Museum’s Lilly Theater presents Dorothy Returns!, a follow up to the 2009 holiday play The Marvelous Land of Oz. In Dorothy Returns! – based on Ozma of Oz by L. Frank Baum – Dorothy, joined by old and new friends, finds herself in the Land of Ev on a quest to free the rightful Queen. Performances take place beginning Nov. 26 through Jan. 2. Performance dates vary; a full list of performance dates and times may be found online at childrensmuseum.org.
SpaceQuest Planetarium
Join The Children’s Museum’s SpaceQuest® Planetarium for two special offerings this holiday season. In Cosmic Canopy: The Poles children and families will learn how constellations over the North and South Poles are different than those in the Indiana night sky. Seasons of Light takes visitors on a special journey through the winter holidays to discover many cultural traditions and find out how these different seasonal festivities began.
Christmas Eve Free Admission
In celebration of the holiday the following day, The Children’s Museum presents a free admission day on Christmas Eve from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children are invited to visit Jolly Days to get in those last-minute requests with Santa before he leaves for his big night!
Countdown to Noon
Children and families are invited to celebrate the final day of 2010 at The Children’s Museum. The Countdown to Noon event includes activities, music and a Water Clock countdown to noon that will allow families to experience the excitement of a countdown at a reasonable hour for the younger members of the family.
The holiday season at The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis kicks off the day after Thanksgiving and continues through the New Year. Jolly Days Winter Wonderland is open for visitors through Jan. 9. More information on museum exhibits, performances, and events may be found online at childrensmuseum.org or by calling the museum at (317) 334-3322.
The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis is a nonprofit institution committed to creating extraordinary family learning experiences that have the power to transform the lives of children and families. The 472, 900 square-foot facility houses 11 major galleries. Visitors can explore the physical and natural sciences, history, world cultures, the arts, see how dinosaurs lived 65 million years ago in Dinosphere: Now You’re in Their World®, experience Dale Chihuly’s Fireworks of Glass and examine children’s impact in shaping history in The Power of Children: Making a Difference. The Children’s Museum, situated on 20 acres of land in Indianapolis, presents hundreds of programs and activities each year. For more information about The Children’s Museum in English and Spanish, visit www.childrensmuseum.org.
